Yes Northland is very lucky to have flights to and from Whangarei every day, but the welcoming may not be that warm for some.

Over the long weekend there were several cars broken into at Whangarei Airport.  Many questions are raised in my mind – what safety measures are being put in place there? Is there regular policing or patrolling of this area?

In my view here are some options that might address this issue:

Option 1 - Spend money on security.

Other districts around NZ use ratepayers’ money to do security patrols in important areas. This can be rather costly, with security firms, camera installations, and lock and key gates.  However questions are raised, Should we spend ratepayers’ money to be good hosts? Must a user of Whangarei Airport have to fork out for Lock ‘N Fly secure parking? And is this an Onerahi issue, a Whangarei issue, a Northland issue or is it a case of 1-2 inconsiderate people behaving like scumbags?

Option 2 - Put your valuables away safely

This is another way to lessen crime, though. Last year in Onerahi, nine cars were broken into across eight nearby streets in one incident. The cars all had the same rear small window broken. Police said that the burglaries would have been prevented had the cars been locked inside garages. This option puts the responsibility back on the owner of the vehicle. How does that make Whangarei a great place to travel to?

Option 3 – Be observant

Closer scrutiny of people likely to commit burglaries might be an option? As far as stats show most burglars are usually male and usually young. They don’t always target wealthy neighbourhoods and they don’t always have a plan for what they are going to do with their loot.  Even though this option has its benefits, perhaps it is unfair to watch young males overly closely.

Option 4 – Bring the community together to take action

If you want to see your community made safer, the initiative of volunteer patrol groups could be the answer, just like when the Tikipunga community took charge of the Whangarei Falls with TikiPride, and the CBD residents took charge of the night patrols of Whangarei.  When a community takes ownership of an area, stupid behaviour drops, people are naturally more observant, visitors feel welcomed.  Having the right local Councillor supporting your area’s cause helps too. As it is election time it’s important to talk to those people who are standing and see if they will be there willing to help you to protect your community.  Remember actions speak louder than words, and voting is putting your support behind them.